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Max Payne (Film)
Max Payne is a American neo-noir action film based on the 2001 video game of the same name by Remedy Entertainment. It was written and directed by John Blake. The film stars Tom Cruise in the title role as Max Payne, Eva Green as Mona Sax, Bryan Cranston as Jim Bravura and Michelle Pfeiffer as Nicole Horne. The film revolves around revenge, centering on a policeman's journey through New York City's criminal underworld, as he investigates the deaths of his wife and child. The film centers around the NYPD Detective Max Payne, who attempts to avenge the murder of his family. It draws inspiration from hard-boiled detective novels by authors like Mickey Spillane. The film contains many allusions to Norse mythology, particularly the myth of Ragnarök, and several of the names used in the film are those of the Norse gods and mythos. The action is heavily influenced by the Hong Kong action cinema genre, particularly the work of director John Woo. Max Payne received very positive reviews and was praised for its action sequences, noir-inspired visual style and story. Critically acclaimed, the film was nominated and won a large number of accolades, including 3 Academy Awards nominations for Best Original Score, Best Cinemathography and Best Film Editing, winning Best Cinemathography. Cast *Tom Cruise as Max Payne *Eva Green as Mona Sax/Lisa Sax (Punchinello) *Bryan Cranston as Jim Bravura *Benedict Cumberbatch as Vladimir Lem *Ethan Hawke as Vinnie Gognitti *Stellen Skarsgard as Alfred Woden *Tim Roth as Jack Lupino *Dominic West as Angelo Punchinello *Michelle Pfeiffer as Nicole Horne *James Spader as BB *Robert Redford as Alex Balder Production Development Darren Aronofsky was attached to direct a film adaptation of the game from a screenplay by John Blake, with production slated to begin in March. Executives wanted the budget to stay below $30 million, but Aronofsky felt that amount would not be adequate to fund the film. On November 13, It was reported that Aronofsky would no longer direct the film. Directors considered to direct were David Fincher, Nicholas Winding Refn and Morten Tyldum. Steven Knight was in negotiations to direct and rewrite Blake's script, but dropped due to creative differences and the project was cancelled. Reports confirmed that the film was back in production, with John Blake directing after he impressed the studio with both his script and his directorial debut Bloodline. But production was delayed due to Blake having to finish a draft on the The Crow, but returned to the film. Originally the budget was $50 million but escalated to $75 million and caused clashes with the studio. Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender and Leonardo Dicaprio were considered to play the lead role. Ben Affleck was in talks for the role but dropped out due to sheduling conflicts. In the end, Tom Cruise was cast. Cruise's salary was $15 million. Angelina Jolie, Rachel Weisz, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence were all considered to play the role of Mona Sax before Eva Green was cast. Green's salary was $5.5 million. Filming On a budget of $75 million, principal photography began on August 1, 2017, in Vancouver under the codename "Painkiller". Filming lasted for two to three months before finishing on November 7, 2017. Reception The film received critical acclaim with critics highlighted the film's narrative, acting, visuals, score and action sequences, but were critical of the graphic violence. Cruise's performance was acclaimed by critics and fans of the video game, calling it one of his best performances to date.